Plenty of retractable devices have been proposed for holding and carrying small personal articles on a user, such as keys, badges, etc. Usually, these devices can be clipped on an article of clothing to free the hands of the user so that he/she may accomplish other tasks.
It is easy to understand the need for such devices. A golf player, for example, often needs to clean his/her golf balls, clubs and other articles during the game. He/she usually uses a towel attached to his/her golf bag for this purpose. In doing so, he/she has little freedom of action and must lean to reach the towel. As another example, joggers often use a towel to wipe their face during the exercise. They presently have to hold the towel in their hands while running or to carry it in an uncomfortable backpack or belt pouch. There are many other occasions where it is desirable to have an article within reach and easily useable and storable.
Known in the art are U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,117 (Johnson et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 5,864,925 (McGee), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,364,237 (Kagel), which show examples of devices for holding and carrying various articles using a spring loaded cord retracting in a casing.
The retracting badge holder of Kagel is a good example of a self-retracting device. This device, usually clipped to a pants waistband, is particularly designed to carry a badge which can be required, for example, to access restricted areas. The retractable badgeholder consists of a wind-up spring mounted in a central cavity of a reel. A cord, to which a badge is fastened, is wound around the reel. The reel is mounted inside a small plastic casing. When the cord is pulled for using the badge, the reel rotates. Once the user releases the badge, the reel automatically rewinds the cord inside the casing.
Unfortunately, this type of device is prone to wear out prematurely if used in an outdoor environment. Eventually, water seeps through the compartment and the wind-up spring begins to rust, thus affecting the efficiency of the cord retraction mechanism. Also, the possible extension range of the cord is also limited due to construction of the retraction mechanism.
Also known in the art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,458 (Yonenoi), which shows an example of a retractable holder for arrangement of small personal articles. The holder consists of a tube housing a curled cord acting as a spring. A ring is fastened at each end of the curled cord for hooking articles. The rings also prevent the curled cord to disengage from the tube. The tube has an outer pin for attachment to a belt, a waistband, etc.
The above described devices are not adapted to carry heavier articles, like a possibly wet towel, a hat, tools, etc. Their cord and retracting mechanism are just not strong enough to retract these types of articles, and they are not built for long-lasting use especially in an outdoor environment.
These devices, along with most such devices, can be clipped to an article of clothing or to another object by means of a clip. Unfortunately, the devices might unclip when colliding with another article. The same could happen if a user hits the device inadvertently while practicing an activity. Precious personal items could be lost to the user's detriment.
Also known in the art are U.S. Pat. No. 2,636,751 (Carlson), U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,263 (Harker), U.S. Pat. No. 6,038,748 (Durney et al.), U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,040 (Matias), U.S. Pat. No. 5,683,022 (Evans), U.S. Pat. No. 3,547,363 (Sledge), U.S. Pat. No. 6,371,346 (Sharma), U.S. Pat. No. 6,328,193 (Schiff), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,460,174 (Perry), which show other examples of holders for personal items that can be worn on an article of clothing or to another article.